On Friday, Governor Jay Inslee named Maia D. Bellon as Washington’s new director of the Department of Ecology.
Currently, Ms. Bellon heads the Water Resources Program at the Department of Ecology, where she has worked since 2010.
Bellon was honored this year with the department’s Director’s Choice award for her effort to bring Lean management practices to the state’s water management program.
“Maia will be an effective leader in our efforts to work on natural resource and regulatory issues that are of huge importance to many in our state,” said Inslee in a statement. “She brings a keen understanding of key issues such as water management that have implications for both our quality of life and our economy.”
According to Governor Inslee’s press release:
Bellon will also play a key role in shepherding Inslee’s first piece of executive request legislation, the Yakima River Basin Water, Jobs and Fish Bill. The bill implements a consensus plan that addresses a broad array of water issues in the basin, posing threats to area salmon stocks and to Yakima’s agricultural and food industries.
“Although work in the natural resource arena faces complicated challenges, there are many opportunities we can all work towards,” Bellon said. “Under the governor’s guidance, we will look to shape balanced solutions that preserve the quality of life Washingtonians expect.”
As the program manager for Ecology’s Water Resources Program, Bellon oversees management of the state’s water resources, including allocation of water and protection of water rights.
Before working for Ecology, Bellon was an Assistant Attorney General assigned to Ecology’s Water Section.
As part of Inslee’s plan, Bellon will focus her initial efforts on water issues in the Yakima River Basin. The River stretches for 6, 150 square miles from the Keechelus Dam to the Columbia River.
For more information visit Governor Jay Inlee’s website.
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